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COLLEGE WRESTLING: Teal bows out of national wrestling championship

Wrestling at the NJCAA national meet Friday in Rochester, the Minnesota West freshman suffered two losses and bowed out of the tournament.

"He got caught on his back and the kid didn't let him off, so he lost (his first match)," MW head coach Bob Purcell said. "The next match, it was a 1-1 match with about 30 seconds to go, and he got lateral tossed for a five-point move and lost 6-1."

Facing Briston Brenton from Northwest Wyoming in the first round, the 157-pound Teal was pinned in 2:15.

Moving into the consolation bracket, Teal then lost to Ellsworth's Steven Moreno.

"They both were close; the final scores aren't indicative to how close they actually were," Purcell said. "He basically made one mistake in both matches and it cost him."

While Teal finished 0-2, the experience will help him in the future.

"He's been injured so he's only really had a half-year of wrestling," Purcell said. "Being a freshman, it was a great experience for him. He looked at what he did at this tournament, and I think he understands he can win and he can compete. I'm looking for good things for him for next year just by what he did (Friday)."

Minnesota West's other wrestler who qualified for the national tournament, Ashton Griffin, failed to make weight at 125 pounds and did not compete.